The Girl of Number 40
by Airisuki
Summary: A side story about him and his female classmate that never been told. ShinxOC


Hi. I've already wrote this long ago, but this is my first fic that I publish and I'm quite nervous you know. So forgive me if it goes a bit or even way too OOC.

This is the story of Shin with my OC. Somehow I just can't see him and Wakana get together. So I find him other girl of my own ideal. Mwahahahaha

**Disclaimer**: Eyeshield 21 isn't mine. If it was, I would've serialized this fic to Jump as oneshot. hhaha

.

.

.

**[The girl of number 40]**

"Excuse me! Could you please pass the ball?"

A volley ball rolled down and stop near the bench field where all Ojou's American football club members gather. Takami, the tall quarterback, took the ball and look up to where it came from. There stood a petite girl waving at him cheerfully. The girl was wearing Ojou's volleyball club jersey. She told him to throw the ball.

Takami lit up the volley ball and throw it to her. "Oh no, it's too high for her," he forgot if he wasn't throwing the usual ball that he was trained for.

"Wow, nice serve," the girl murmured to herself, never letting her eyes off the ball. Then she suddenly jumped, a pretty high jump compared to her height, and caught the ball easily. Takami and the rest of the members who saw that were quite amazed.

"Thank you!" she said. "Em?" her eyes caught a familiar black haired boy and his tall companion between the crowds. "Shin-san! Sakuraba-san! Good luck with the practice!" the girl screamed cheerfully and waved her hand to them before she left.

"Hey, Sakuraba! Who's that girl? She's pretty cute," the upperclassmen commented.

"Actually, I have no clue at all," the tall freshman replied, hopelessly.

"Her name is Fujishiro Rie. She's a member of the volleyball club," the ace linebackers said, gaining attention of all the awestruck upperclassmen. "She probably is having a practice now".

"...but Shin," Sakuraba cut him before he continued to talk, "how do you know her?"

"She's our classmates. She sat two seats beside me. You don't remember?" the boy replied calmly.

"Huh? No," the taller boy couldn't deny if he was careless with the girls of his own classmates or any others, because most of them were chasing after him. But what surprised him was the fact that Shin knows that girl. He thought that boy only has American football in his mind. Well maybe, the tough Shin Seijuro was still a male after all.

Fujishiro Rie was a student of Ojou since junior high. She has light-brown short haircut and petite figure. Her eyes were beautiful round and wooden shade color. Despite her disadvantage height, Rie was a good player in her club.

The girl was always spirited, cheerful, and kind, but a bit clumsy though. She still remembered it clearly when Takami throw the ball to her because she slipped on it (again) at her junior high life. At that time she was too absorbed with practicing her high jump skills, so when the ball flied above her, instead of catching it, she smashed it back reflectively. The ball launched like a missile projector and hit right on Shogun's back head in the middle of his lecture to the team. All the members who present that day were white out and of course, she did too. Since that day, every time Rie met the legendary Shogun, she would always apologize to him.

"Don't you think Sakuraba-kun is awesome?"

Her ear twitched when she heard that. Her friends, Megumi and Yuki, were talking about the JL-pro star while eating their lunch box.

"He's tall, handsome, and good at sports," Megumi commented and continued to chew her fried tofu.

"Oh, have you bought his latest album? I barely speak with him though, but his voice is totally wonderful," Yuki added. Then she turned to her friend who kept quiet since the topic started. "What do you think, Rie-chan?"

"Umm... I think Shin-san is much better than him," she said in cheery tone.

"That silent guy? Why him?" the fan girls wondered in confuse.

"It's true if Sakuraba is tall, but Shin-san is very talented. He even made it on the sports page in big title as 'The strongest linebacker of Japan'," Rie explained excitedly.

"Well, I never watch American football's team play though. Maybe your opinion is right, but..." Megumi eyes narrowed and stared her sharp. "Why Shin? Of all people you could mention, why it has to be his name that comes up to your mind?"

"Huh? Isn't it obvious? We're talking about Sakuraba-san, the member of American football's club, right?" her wooden eyes widen, didn't expect to be asked such question.

"Yeah, but we're talking about his star career. And I only mentioned 'sports'. I'm not referring specifically to 'American football'," Megumi attacked her with undeniable facts.

"Rie-chan, could it be that you're interested in that guy?" Yuki hit the jackpot, earning a beet red face from Rie.

"N-No! I don't think him in such way!" she quickly lay protest, but her friends didn't bother to hear it at all. Luckily, she was saved by the bell.

The petite girl didn't think if her comments would blow such effects. Is it wrong to think that Shin Seijuro is definitely awesome? But it's true if he's amazing in sports, especially American football.

Rie glanced at the boy who sat two seats beside her. His raven eyes stared in full attention to the teacher. They barely talk at school, only when she passed him by or if she was assigned in the same group with him. It's true if Shin is a man of few words, but when he talked it always truthful. But there is a day between seven days of a week, when she would always met him.

Saturday was Rie's chores day at the club. When she walked home at the evening, she used the time to run, to improve her speed and agility. Unknowingly to her, Shin was doing his usual running practice at the same time. So when those two passed by near the river from opposite directions, although it was just a second, their eyes would meet in a gaze. She thought it was just a day coincidence, but the next week and the week after next week, they would meet again in the same spot.

"Shin-san!" the girl called out just when he passed her again.

The boy turned around and reflectively caught a flying bottle of pocari sweat. At first he was confused why she threw it to him, but when she explained, it all made sense.

"That's for you. Good luck for the next match!" she said in a big smile.

"Thanks," Shin replied by lifting the bottle and he continued to run. Since then, every Saturday, Rie would bring another bottle of pocari sweat for him. And Shin, would always took it and thanked her. Before they realized, it has became a routine.

At those short times, Rie could see how determined he was toward American football and she admired it. Volleyball was her number one, but it doesn't mean that she didn't like any other sports. Lately, she has become a fan of American football and tried to follow up any news that was issued. The girl believed, what matters in sportsmanship is not just talent, but also hard work. And she saw it within him.

Suddenly his raven eyes looked at her. His stern stare was like a sting to her heart and she turned her face quickly before he knew if she had been watching at him for quite a while. Rie buried her face between the books to hide her reddening cheeks. "Oh, what am I doing?"

.

The next day, Kanto regional's volleyball tournament, final match.

Ojou's volleyball club versus Bando's volleyball club. It was a tight match. Both teams were very skilled and tough. If Ojou scored some points then Bando would launched counter attack to gain more point. Their scores were kept catching up restlessly.

The girl who has number three on her jersey dived down to pass the ball with her hand, but the ball bounced in uncontrollable way. "Rie!" she shouted.

Rie eyes were still on the ball, never letting it goes at all. She then jumped high and at the right timing, she swung her left hand to slam the ball toward the corner court.

"Whoa! Nice smash!" the coach from Bando's team commented, amazed by how she magnificently smashed the ball.

"Impressive, isn't it?" Satsujin, the coach of Ojou's volleyball team, approached him. "She's not as tall as the other player, but she managed to cover it with her agility and jumping smash".

"Yeah, I've never seen a left handed player this good before".

"Left handed?" Satsujin's eyebrow twitched. "Rie is right handed, you know".

"Eh!" the coach of Bando's team was very surprised. "But since the match starts, she keeps smashing with her left hand".

"Your team defense at left side is quite weak, so it's obvious if she attack there. And it would be easier to aim with her left hand," the long haired samurai styled coach, Satsujin, explained with a grin. "Because of her figure is smaller than the other, enemy would attack her with high passes. So in order to play at her full ability, she trained her jumping smash and her left hand".

"Out! Ojou's ball!" the referee shouted.

"Rie, you serve," the senior girl handed the ball to the light-brown haired girl.

Ojou was leading the game now. Just one point, one point more and they would lead to victory. Rie closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breathe. She readies to serve.

.

"Oh, isn't that Rie?"

Practice after school for American football club has over. Surprisingly it ends before the night fall. Perhaps Shogun was in a good mood which was rarely happened. However, there on the stairway near the ground field, a petite girl sat. Her eyes were wondering far through the orange sky.

"Shin?" the taller guy noticed if his friend had stopped his step.

"You guys go ahead. I've left something at the clubroom," he said in flat tone.

Sakuraba glanced back to the stair where Rie was still sitting. He then smiled and pulled Otawara to follow him, "make sure you pick it up carefully".

And so the linebacker nodded to the receiver.

The sky was shining in orange shade. All the birds were flying home to their nest. But, she didn't intent to move a bit from her place.

"Eng?" she saw shadow silhouette of a man near her. As she lit up her face, her eyes met his, "Shin-san?"

"Shouldn't you be at home now?" he asked, still in his calm manner.

"Oh, the practice has over, huh? Guess I've lost the track of time," she sighed and look back to the horizon.

The sound of his steps was going closer to her and before she could protest, he already sat beside her. "I heard you had a match yesterday," Shin said, surprisingly starting the topic first.

"Yes," the girl replied, her eyes still set on the sky.

"How did it go?"

She sighed again, too much for today. "We won," Rie looked to him with a smile, a hurtful one, Shin thought.

"You didn't seem happy," he spoke with his usual stern stare, totally opposite with hers.

"I'm really happy, you know. Really! I do feel happy!" Rie replied. "But..."

"There's a big difference if you could taste the victory with your own feet still stand on the ground..."

"When we lead the last point, I was the one who serve the ball. I do my usual jumping serve, but I lost my balance and fell on my knee. Then everything went black out," the petite girl explained. "And when I woke up, the game had already over with victory for Ojou".

"Sensei said I was too exhausted. He said I was over training," she recalled back what Satsujin-sensei told her after game. "It is silly... to think that I was training hard for this game and fell because of it".

Shin remained silent, he was listening to her story with full attention. "I think you're amazing..." he commented.

"Eh?" her eyes widen at his words.

"… to fight until the very end. Even if you fall, you have led the team to victory. I think that's amazing..." Shin said with a warm smile, a smile which she rarely saw.

"Haha..! I didn't expect you to say that!" she chuckled quietly.

"That way is better".

"What do you mean?"

"The usual Fujishiro Rie I know is always high spirited and cheerful. It suits you best when you laugh," Shin Seijuro, the man of few words, said. His eyes were looking at her calmly.

Rie's cheeks were blushing madly. She never heard a guy said that to her before. "Umm...! Shin-san, you're the new captain now, right?" her pitch tone was raised suddenly.

"Huh? Yeah?" and his usual monotone were back suddenly.

"I saw the whole practice. You're totally awesome! You tackled down the runner in one quick swept!" she said, excitedly. Actually, she was trying to hide her blush and keep the tension of her heart to down lower.

"Ah! There's a bruise on your cheek," she saw a tiny red mark on his cheek near the eye. "Wait! I bring a plaster," quickly she dug to her bag to find it.

"Hold still..." she told him and put the plaster gently on his bruise.

"Thanks," he turned to her, but surprised at the sudden view. His face and hers were so close, only inches away. His raven eyes locked tightly to her wooden shade eyes. Her hand was still on his cheek, stroking it softly. Neither of them move or speak, way too absorbed to the deep of the opponent's eyes. Rie then noticed if there was another red mark on his cheeks. No, it wasn't a bruise. He was blushing...

"S-sorry!" she pulled it first, quickly averted his gaze. Her face was in beet red that was no way she could hide it. Unknowingly to her, he, Shin, was blushing too. There was a faint blush on his cheeks as he tried to look away from her.

"I-I think I should be going home now," Rie stood up, willing to run away fast from him, even it has to be at the end of the world. But suddenly she felt a sharp sting on her knee and almost fell flat on the stairs, if only Shin hadn't caught her. "Sorry, I forgot if my knee's hurt".

He looked at her right knee which was shaking. "...I'll take you home".

On her way home, they passed the river spot where they usually met. Rie looked to him, "Shin-san, I'm heavy, aren't I?" she asked shyly. The ace linebacker was carrying her on his back all the way from the school.

"Not at all. In fact, I don't feel like carrying someone," he replied flatly.

"Oh really?" well at least she was light for him. Shin himself was quite surprised at first. He never carried a girl on his back before, but he didn't expect if she was so light. Her figure was truly petite compared to him. On the other hand, Rie felt the same awkward way as him. His back was broad and muscular due to the consistent trainings he done.

"Shin..." Rie whispered quietly while circling her hands on his neck. His body twitched a bit at the sudden reaction since he was trained to be reactive towards attack, but the sting felt so nice, warm, and affectionately. "Thank you..." she said with a smile and laid her head on his shoulder, slowly went asleep.

The black haired guy smiled again. Sakuraba was right. He definitely has to pick her up carefully.

**-OMAKE-**

It was seven July, the Tanabata Day for Japanese people. Shin, Sakuraba, and Otawara were enjoying the festival near the temple, but only until a girl appeared before them.

"Sorry, I'm late. It takes quite awhile to wear this," Rie said, blushing shyly. She was wearing kimono with red obi. Her kimono was painted in yellow-orange strips, and there were leaves printed on it. There was also a green hairpin dangling on her light-brown short hair. She looks so beautiful and dazzling.

"Wow, you're so cute, Rie-chan," Sakuraba commented.

"Thank you, Sakuraba-san," the girl smiled sweetly to him, which made the tall receiver to earn some glare from Shin. "Um..?" Sakuraba noticed if there was some pink atmosphere hanging on the air between Shin and Rie, although pink wasn't the smart color to pick for that guy.

"Otawara, let's play at that booth!" the auburn guy said while pulling the big man toward the booth. You gonna owe me this one too, he thought with a grin.

They were left alone, in the middle of the crowds. She still averted his gaze. Rie felt so shy, she always wears t-shirts and shorts before, so it must have surprised him to see her in kimono. Shin, the linebacker we all know, fell silent to see her beauty. He was completely speechless. He never acted this way toward girl before, perhaps because she was the only one who could made him feel so.

They haven't said a single word yet. Both just stay silent like they were mute. But accidentaly her petite body was bumped by the crowd. Luckily she still managed to stand on her feet, although it was quite difficult especially when you wore kimono and a pair of wooden sandals.

Shin noticed her uneasiness and then stretched his arm to her, "take my hand. We could get separated in this crowd".

She blushed again. Does that mean he doesn't want to get separated from me? She wondered to herself. Rie smiled sweetly as she took his hand. Their hand, fitting each other spaces. Shin couldn't hold him self to smile and stare at her warmly.

"So... where should we go?"

.

.

.

**I wrote fics for my own satisfaction. Feel free to review or not, but I will be very pleased if you do.**


End file.
